Nuts for This Cracker

If you’re not familiar with the Christmas tale The Nutcracker, it goes something like this: A giddy little Clara can’t wait for the big day but to her amazement gets an early present unlike any other when the Nutcracker, the Sugar-Plum Fairy, and the Snow Queen all come to life. But of course you know the story. With due respect to Scrooge, The Nutcracker is the most performed holiday dance — most performed holiday anything — of all time. However, not all Nutcrackers are created equal, which is why the Arts Ballet Theatre’s production should stand out this year, because it’s the 15th anniversary of the company, founded by Russian director and choreographer Vladimir Issaev. He sticks to the old-school version (as opposed to Balanchine’s, perhaps the most common one today), and the principal roles are heavy on a Japanese contingent (the other dancers in this program hail from South America and Cuba). Sun., Dec. 9, 6 p.m., 2012